Royal Obligations

Chapter 8: Open Secrets of Cordelia Schreave

No surprise, I was the last one in the room. Forrest was just getting finished talking to another girl while I sat on a couch, propping my head up. Forrest was probably saving me for last, so he could ask me one question before dismissing me. I really didn't have a problem with that, but if he is my backup plan I need to hook him somehow, I just wasn't sure how yet.

The girl Forrest was talking to leaves the room, and he sighs audibly before looking back over at me. "Why are you still here? Can't we just call it a day?"

"Because It's mandatory. I can't leave until I've met both of you." I give him a bored look and stand up.

"Fine." Forrest says dismissively and saunters over to me. "I know your name, I know where you come from, you don't have an occupation, I could care less about your hobbies, and you don't have a family. There." Forrest says and glances back at the door. "I know you well enough."

"What's my favorite color?" I ask.

"Probably black because it symbolizes death and despair." He remarks.

I felt laughter bubble up inside me but it instantly died from my shock. He almost made me laugh.

"Blue, because it's a nice color." I say.

Forrest rolls his eyes. "That's great, but why do you think it's a nice color? Everyone has a different perception on what colors mean to them, so why do you particularly like the color blue out of all the colors in this world and all the choices you could choose from why blue?"

I'm a little confused by his reaction. He was rambling, but usually people ramble when they are too deep in thought or don't know what to say. And I doubt he doesn't know what to say, because Prince Forrest Schreave seems to always have something to say.

"It's the color of the sky. The sky can sometimes be a clear blue, or it can be muddled by clouds. Most of the time the blue sky is muddled or blotted with clouds, but on the days it is not are usually our best days." I say.

"A metaphor, hmm?" He asks. "Or is this an extreme form of symbolism?"

"Possibly." Is my only answer to him.

The look that flashes across his eyes tells me he's offended. And that's not what I wanted.

I quickly change the subject before it backfires on me. "What's your favorite color?" I ask.

Forrest narrows his eyes. "This is useless. You don't have any chance with me so why are you carrying a conversation with me?"

"Well don't we have a big ego?" I shoot him a look. "You have a designated timeframe you are supposed to talk to me. I was speaking with Prince Harlan for ten minutes before you came and said he ran five minutes over. It's been six minutes so far, so you have four left, which means that I have four left. Before you start assuming I'm about ready to crawl into bed with you-"

"To be fair I wouldn't reject you," He shrugs and I stop talking and give him an annoyed look. "Have you gotten slapped yet?"

Forrest smirks. "Not yet, seems like you're going to lose our little competition."

I huff out a laugh. "Please, it's not a competition if you know you're going to win."

Something flashes across his face as he looks at me. "Is that so?"

I was trying to read him and he was trying to read me. I'm usually so experienced in this department, because when I wasn't reading and researching, I was watching. I have a mental encyclopedia of every human interaction and their emotions over the course of fifteen years. Prince Forrest was a code I could not yet crack. As I said, I need to get to a library. I'm sure the palace has better records about King Clarkson than any library around the provinces.